trittle trattle

A Scots and dialectal English term stemming from the verb trattle (to prattle/chatter) and related to "trinkum-trankum". An earlier version, trittlyl-trattyll, is recorded as early as 1529.^[1]

trittle trattle (plural trittle trattles)

1. (slang) Nonsense; foolish talk, idle chatter, or meaningless trifle.

   Synonym: drivel

   • 1628/1897, Hamilton, William Douglas, Calendar of State Papers, Domestic Series, of the Reign of Charles I, 1628 - 1629 Preserved in the State Paper Department of Her Majesty's Public Record Office. Addenda: March 1625 to January 1649 · Volume 23‎^[1], page 295:

     Your wife is now well at Penshurst; the small-pox hath but kissed her face. Post-script.—I pray leave your “trittle trattle trollilollies and come to us.”

   • 1876, Morley, Henry, Cassell's library of English literature, selected, ed. and arranged by Henry Morley‎^[2], page 148:

     “Now trittle trattle trollylow,” Quoth the third man, “thou does but mow!”

   • 1881, Russell, John, “The “Supplication”.”, in The Haigs of Bemersyde A Family History‎^[3], page 199:

     Going through Fife some five weeks afterwards, Dunmure called at Hay’s house, and “craved back the paper with great earnestness;” whereupon Hay said, “Trittle-trattle, ye need not be so curious ...”

   • 1913, Roughead, William, Twelve Scots Trials‎^[4], page 26:

     The admonitions of her visitor “she scorned in a headful laughter,” and called his ghostly counsel “Trittle Trattle.”

   • 2003 June 15, Skelton, Douglas, Deadlier Than The Male Scotland's Most Wicked Women‎^[5]:

     Lady Jean was unwilling to cleave to her religion at first throwing the reverend’s proffered bible against the wall and dismissing his preaching as ‘trittle trattle’.

2. (slang) Cheap, tawdry trinkets or nick-nacks; worthless small items one might buy at a market.

   Synonym: trinkum-trankum

   • 1896, Crockett Grey Man, Kcb.‎^[6]:

     At the fair I had spent all my silver, buying of trittle-trattles at the lucky-booths and about the market-stalls.